PREAMBLE
TITTLE: 31st National Education conference organized by the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) in collaboration with the Nigerian Textile Garment and Tailoring Employers Association (NTGTEA).
VENUE: Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde Hall, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Headquarters Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
DATES: Tuesday 29th – Wednesday 30th October 2019.
PARTICIPANTS
400 participants from cotton, textile and garment industries, self-employed tailors and garment makers from Lagos, Ogun, Kwara, Niger, Edo, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Kogi, Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Yobe, Benue, Kano, Cross River and Imo State of the Federation.
THEME:
LABOUR AND INDUSTRY IN THE NEXT LEVEL
OBJECTIVES:
All stakeholders in the textile value chain together to critically evaluate the current initiatives n the revival of the industry, review and discuss the Cotton Textile and Garment (CTG) Policy and its policy implications, reflect on the challenges and generate ideas for industrial revival, job creation and ensuring welfare of the workers in the Next Level of the new administration.
CONTEXT:
Nigeria in 2019 marks 59th Independence Anniversary and 20 years of un-interrupted democratic process (1999 to 2019). 2019 also marks 100 years of the formation of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Labour, Nation- building, National Unity, global unionism, Gender Equality, History of Trade Unionism, Idealogical Issues and democracy questions were top on the agenda of the historic conference.
OPENING CEREMONY:
Tuesday 29th October, 2019. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR declared the Education conference open. He was represented by the Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu, represented by the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Professor Josiah Ajiboye. Guests of Honour include the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Kedem Tallen among others.
HOSTS:
NUTGWN President, Comrade John Adaji and General Secretary, and Vice President of IndustriALL Global Union Comrade Issa Aremu, mni.
The Master of Ceremony the renowned TV Broadcaster and Journalist, Mr. Cyril Stober of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).
RESOURCE FELLOWS:
The conference drew resource persons from Nigerian Textile and Tailoring Association (NTGTEA), Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, organised labour, UNIDO, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), academia, INEC and the Civil Society organisation.
THE CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS
REVIVAL OF COTTON, TEXTILE AND GARMENT INDUSTRY
RECALLED:
That on Tuesday July 23rd, President Muhammadu Buhari hosted the National Executive Council (NEC) members of the union at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during which the President unveiled a comprehensive Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) policy following extensive consultations with all stakeholders in the textile and garment value chain.
COMMENDED:
President Muhammadu Buhari for changing the narrative of textile industry from that of closure to revival and recovery.
ACKNOWLEDGED:
that the new CTG policy in addition to the three unprecedented Presidential Executive orders mandating government agencies to patronize Nigeria goods (textile inclusive) through budget spending aims at creating millions of jobs.
COMMENDED:
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for its development financing initiatives on cotton seeds to farmers, restructured Bank of Industry (BOI) loans to the spinning and weaving mills and facilitating the historic signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the textile mills and uniformed services (Army, Navy, Police, Road safety, Civil Defence, Customs, Immigration, National Youth Service Corps etc) for their uniforms to be produced locally.
NOTED:
President Buhari had envisioned 100 million jobs in a decade. Textile and garment sector promises as many as 2.5 million direct jobs.
REAFFIRMED:
that Textile Industry remains the key driver of sustainable jobs and development for most national economies of developing nations like ours. Indeed for Nigeria and Africa to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 2030, especially SDG 9 dealing with industry and innovation, African continent must innovate and industrialize. Africa must copy China’s industrialization drive which has within 20 years moved over 250 million people out of poverty through manufacturing and industrialization.
COMMENDED:
the Bank of Industry (BOI) under the leadership of Mr. Olukayode Pitan for sustainable financing to textile operators to aid recovery.
COMMENDED:
United Nations Development Organisation (UNIDO) for support for industrial revival.
OBSERVED:
that the implementation of the CTG policy is taking place at the time most African countries including Nigeria had signed on to the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA). The Conference commended President Buhari for the signing of the Agreement.
CALLED:
on the Federal government to develop a comprehensive strategy to fully optimise the benefits of ACFTA with necessary safeguards in place to prevent and apprehend unfair trading practices such as smuggling and dumping.
SUPPORTED:
the current closure of Nigerian borders by Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as part of the strategies to combat smuggling while calling on the Nigeria’s Customs to effectively enforce the directive.
COMMENDED:
the directive by President Buhari for special fund by the CBN and Industrial Training Fund (ITF) for capacity building and training of workers in the cotton, textile and garment value chain against the background of the new CTG policy and signing of the ACFTA. The fund must be channelled through the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria.
OBSERVED:
that for textile industry to be competitive, the existing workforce must be trained and retrained to acquire new skills for the challenges of competition within the context of the 4th industrial revolution.
FURTHER OBSERVED:
that there can be no industrialization without electrification and called on the Federal government to intensify effort to address the problem of electricity supply in the country.
LABOUR ISSUES
COMMENDED:
the Federal Government, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and all the stakeholders for working together to ensure a new National Minimum Wage of N30,000.00 for Nigeria workers and the consequential adjustments as it affects public sector workers.
HAILED:
Kaduna State Government and other State Governments that have implemented the new Minimum Wage.
CALLED:
on other State governors and other employers of labour in both the public and private sectors to quickly implement the new minimum wage.
OBSERVED:
that economic recovery would elude Nigerian economy until the country put an end to persistent crisis of compensation of the working class through enhanced purchasing power which is only possible through prompt and adequate payment of minimum and living wage for the employed workforce.
NOTED:
that the key to sustainable development is labour productivity in both public and private sectors which is only possible with motivated paid workers at work and after work through adequate pensions.
FURTHER NOTED:
that increased wages and regular payments of the salaries would increase purchasing power of the citizens and enhance the patronage of locally produced goods including textiles.
COMMENDED:
the leadership of the textile union for commitment to welfare of workers. The union and textile employers had since signed and implemented new minimum wage of over N37,000 through the instrumentality of collective bargaining between the union and the textile employers association
OBSERVED:
that as Nigeria’s industrial relations undergoes the challenges of avoidable disputes, strikes and lockouts, other unions and employers might find useful the model example of peaceful contestation and cooperation between workers and employers in the textile Industry on all aspects of industrial relations.
CALLED:
on workers to reciprocate the gesture by government and employers through improved productivity.
WARNED:
on danger of drug abuse and called on parents and guardians to be more vigilant and monitor activities of their children/wards.
INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISION (INEC)
COMMENDED:
INEC under Professor Mahmood Yakubu for the successful conduct of the 2019 general elections globally adjudged to be free and fair.
NOTED:
that credible election is the critical foundation for true democracy, good governance and sustainable development.
COMMENDED:
organised labour and other civil society organizations for partnering with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as observers and volunteers, urging them to strengthen this process of collaboration through an urgent post election assessment.
CALLED:
on INEC and other stakeholders to put necessary machineries in place for free and fair elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States governorship elections scheduled to hold in November, 2019.
LABOUR AND THE POLITICAL PROCESS
RE-AFFIMED:
the strategic relevance of workers involvement in the political process in the society.
RECALLED:
the political role labour played for Nigeria’s Independence, nation building, against military rule and return to democracy in Nigeria.
EXPRESSED:
willingness to partner with INEC for quality control of Nigeria’s democratic process.
OBSERVED:
that though as many as 99 political parties are registered, Nigeria in reality given the corrupt and monitized electoral process has only one political party of “the rich, for the rich and by the rich represented by the APC and PDP.”
URGED:
for a quality control of the political process through people’s and issues based politics and formations of the “Parties of the people, for the people and by the people as envisaged by Nigeria’s constitution”.
COMMENDED:
the establishment of the Labour Party that is anchored on the provision of equal opportunity and social justice for all Nigerians.
CALLED:
for the consolidation of all progressive parties as Nigeria matches towards 2023.
OBSERVED and COMMENDED:
the active participation of notable labour leaders in politics; Pa Michael Imoudu, Wahab Goodluck, Alhaji Abubakar Abutu, late Paschal Bafyau Comrades Adams Oshiomhole, Joseph Akinlaja, Peters Akpatason, Aminu Suleiman, Sani Zoro and Comrade Issa Aremu among others.
CALLED:
on Trade Unions, party leaders, rank and file workers, students, artisans and the peasant masses to actively support and campaign for the rebuilding of the Labour Party to transform it into a platform that can truly serve the political needs of the laboring masses.
BUILDING SUPPORT FOR WORKERS IN INFORMAL ECONOMY
EXPRESSED:
concern about the plight of self employed workers in the informal economy who are excluded from the protections provided by labour laws and other social protections policies and programmes.
NOTED:
the need for policy makers to recognise that the tailors and fashion designers in informal economy play a an important role in our economy and deserving of improved working conditions and social conditions.
FURTHER NOTED:
that most informal economy workers that include tailoring and garment workers are unprotected and opened to increased harassment by government agents.
OBSERVED
there is an urgent need for protective legislations for informal sector workers against exploitation and government agents’ harassment.
URGED:
SMEDAN to continue its efforts in areas of capacity building, training and exposure of self-employed workers to access to credit and exposure to proper business management.
YOUNG WORKERS/GENDER ISSUES IN TRADE UNIONS
CALLED:
on all industrial unions to invest in the training and retraining of their female members and young workers to improve their participation in union activities and national development.
P & ID $9.1 BILLION CONTRACT SCAM
OBSERVED:
that the P & ID contract scam underscores the need for Nigeria’s government to be conscious of foreign portfolio investment. Government investment charity should start from home.
EXPRESSED:
support for the Federal government’s decision not to pay the money.
CALLED on EFCC to the arrest and prosecution of all Nigerians, (regardless of their status) who collaborated with the P &ID investment scammers .
AFRICA AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS
CALLED on:
President Buhari to urgently lead the struggle to redeem the respect and dignity of Africa.
FROWNED:
at the idea of All Africa leaders engaging different countries of the world as unequal partners. Africa must indeed engage in globalized world. But it’s unacceptable that a continent of 54 countries would be engaging with China, Russia, India, Turkey, Japan among others in unequal summits which often hold outside the Continent of Africa.
NOTED:
The promise of independent Africa in 1957 when Ghana lowered the Union Jack is that Africans would relate with the world as equals not as junior partners begging for development. Africa Union vision of 2063 talks of prosperity for all Africans based on self reliance, partnership with the world as contained in 2030 UN sustainable Development Goals 17.
CALLED on:
African countries to cooperate more with themselves rather than competing with themselves for conditional aids and support with other countries in Asia and Africa. Europe once scrambled for Africa which led to colonialism and underdevelopment, African leaders in 2019 should not be willing tools for new domination and global exploitation.
COMMENDED:
the new collaboration between the Federal Executive and the 9th Assembly in areas of budgeting and development for nation building.
REAFFIRMED:
Commitment to the Unity and development of the labour movement.
SUPPORTED:
the reconciliation effort by the leadership of Congress to ensure NUPENG and NUEE return to the NLC. As capital and capitalists are building Unity, only United labour can confront global capitalism.
EXPRESSED:
appreciation to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for hosting the 31st National Education of the Union.
REAFFIRMED:
commitment to a United, indivisible, strong democratic Federal Republic of Nigeria.
INDUSTRIALL GLOBAL UNION
REAFFIRMED:
Commitment to the strategic goals of IndustriALL Global Union; Build Union Power, Defend Workers’ Rights, Confront Global Capital and ensure Sustainable Industrial Policy.
FURTHER REAFFIRMED:
Commitment to implementing the resolutions of the IndustriALL Africa Regional Conference held in Tanzania from 7 to 11 October, 2019 on Youth, Women, Industrialisation and general resolutions.
COMMENDED:
Affiliates of IndustriALL Global Union from South Africa for agreeing to host the Third World Congress of IndustriALL Global Union scheduled to hold in Cape Town next year.
CALLED ON:
All affiliates of IndustriALL in Sub Saharan Africa to support South African affiliates to make South Africa 2020 as successful as second historic colourful Congress which took place in Brazil from 4-7 October 2016.
John Adaji Issa Aremu, mni
PRESIDENT GENERAL SECRETARY
VICE PRESIDENT, IndustriALL Global Union
